This Web site began by recounting my own experience, but the site expanded as I kept finding information that the media weren’t reporting. For what it’s worth, here’s one of the original pages.
An ugly encounter with violent security guards
and belligerent Vancouver cops: How did all this start?
This incident involves three Vancouver police officers who sided with two security guards who illegally handcuffed, detained and assaulted me. At the time I was on a public street and I had done nothing wrong.
Early in the morning of June 14, 2006, I was walking south on Victoria Drive, a side street in East Vancouver. One block of the street had film company vehicles parked on the east side of the street, beside the sidewalk I was walking on. There was no film activity underway. There were no signs, tape or anything to suggest the street was temporarily off limits to the public. In fact the street was open to the public as usual.
But two power-tripping security guards thought otherwise. They each came out of a different parked car and walked quickly towards me. One of them shouted that they would break my arms.
They weren’t wearing uniforms and there was nothing on their vehicles to indicate they were security guards.
I got a quick look at one of their licence plate numbers and crossed to the other side of the street. I continued walking south to Hastings Street, found a pay phone and called 911.
I walked back to the corner of Hastings and Victoria, where I could watch the scene from a safe distance and wait for the police. After a considerable wait, I went back to the pay phone and called 911 a second time. I was eventually told that the police wouldn’t respond for several hours.
It seemed likely the two goons would be gone by that time. I wanted to verify that I had the first licence plate number correct and also get the second plate number.
I returned to the scene, approaching from a side street. One of them shouted at me again, so I left. I returned one more time and started writing down the second plate number.
As I was writing the number, a very big guy approached me, grabbed my shirt and started pushing me backwards. At the same time the second guy grabbed my arms from behind and handcuffed me. This was done very efficiently, as if they’ve done it many times before.
With my hands cuffed behind my back they shoved me down on the ground and tried to push my face into the pavement. Then they pulled me up so I was kneeling in a very painful Gitmo stress position.
I told them I have bad knees and was in considerable pain. The bigger guy responded by threatening to kick my face in.
They called Vancouver police. Three police officers — John Doduk (badge number 2371), Anna Grigoletto (2069) and Jeffrey Dy (2308) — arrived in less than five minutes.
At first I was relieved to see them. But it quickly became obvious that they were hostile to me and friendly towards the two goons.
They allowed the bigger of the two goons to stick his face literally a few inches from mine and glower at me in an obviously intimidating manner while my hands were cuffed behind my back. The three officers were standing close by and were well aware that he was doing this.
The smaller goon, meanwhile, was strutting back and forth with a tough-guy swagger.
The police made me give them my name, address and date of birth while the two goons were standing very close and listening intently. The goons were standing right alongside the police officers, at the same distance from me as the police.
I knew the police were wrong to make me give them that information with those two guys listening. But I was scared to refuse. The police showed vehement hostility to me from the very beginning. This was a dark side street where anything could happen. I was scared of all five of them.
Eventually Dy pulled me back several paces. As he did, I heard one of the goons tell the other cops that they had seen me trying door handles on the film company vehicles. I said he’s lying and they could take fingerprints to find out for themselves.
Dy began searching me and questioning me in a hostile manner. As he emptied my pockets he scattered my possessions along the side of the road.
He gave no regard to anything I said, including the fact that I was writing down a licence plate number when the goons grabbed me and handcuffed me. That piece of paper was proof that I had been writing down a plate number. If I were trying to break into vehicles, why would I write down a plate number? Dy wasn’t the least bit interested.
Nor was he interested in the fact that I had already phoned 911 to report the goons for threatening to break my arms.
In fact, Dy told me the guards had a legal right to handcuff anyone who walked up that street. He said this very clearly and emphatically.
Doduk went into his car and spoke on the radio for a while. For some reason he was furious when he came out. He threw a tantrum, shouted incoherently and swore at me. In the midst of his tantrum he bellowed words to the effect that I hadn’t phoned 911.
Then he told the others to let me go. Someone unlocked the handcuffs. (The goons’ handcuffs were on me the entire time.)
As I was picking up my wallet and other belongings that Dy had scattered on the ground, Grigoletto started shouting at me in a truly obnoxious manner: “GO HOME! GO HOME! GET OUT OF HERE! GO HOME!”
As I was picking up my stuff I told her I would go. Nevertheless she kept shouting in the same gratuitous and offensive manner. I think she was really enjoying herself.
Apart from everything else, the vehement hostility and offensive behaviour of the police reinforced the goons’ belief that they have Vancouver police permission to handcuff, detain and assault people at will.
Read about the complaint process